Milk package



R. BECKER MILK PACKAGE April 29, 1941.

Filed Jan. 15, 1938 (w. Rcfv me, E m N a a N 1 m e R Y 2 fmw o/ a M A 5 Mn mm CARBON DIOXIDE APPLIANCE FILLED WITH MILK VACU U M CARBON D OXIDE SEAUNG APPLIANCE CARBON DIOX\DE Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNlTED, STATES, PATENT OFFICE I 7 Wri ht I appucaxrjzriaaisi The present .invention relates to canning of whole milk and it particularly relates to a process of packaging the milk and to a can construction therefor.

In present milk distribution systems considertype of heavy glass containers which are not only quite weighty but also expensive and difll'cult to handle. The thickness of the walls of these containers makes it considerably diflicult to' cool milk distribution system according to which the milk may be promptly and efliciently with proper control of temperature and with adequate treatment to assure desirable properties and able difllculty has been experienced with the usual in the containers to desired temperature. Be-

cause of the expense of these heavy glass bottles, they must be reused and considerable difllculty has been experienced in identifying the owners so that assurance will be had of return thereof. There is always considerable loss where no deposit is demanded, since the latter may often antagonize the prospective customer and decrease sales. I

Furthermore the bottles after usage cannot be most readily scoured or cleansed. It is notjreadily possible to use water of proper temperature to sterilize the bottles, since .such water may often tend to crack the bottles due to the thickness of the glass and the unequal expansion thereof. I

Furthermore is not most readily possible to stopper the bottle with paper disks and at the same time prevent the accumulation of 'dirt or dust upon the mouth thereof. It is frequently necessary to go to considerable expense to prowhich will lend itself to most convenient and inexpensive handling by distributors, dairy employees, housewives, retailers and so forth.

In accomplishing these objects it has been found most satisfactory to can-the whole milk in such a manner as to providers protected pourins device and which at the same time will not neeessitate any special cutting devices which neces'-.

sitate cutting into the metal of the can and which might give rise to metal particles desirable effects. I I In accomplishing the above objects it has bee'ti found most satisfactory in one embodiment form the top of the can with apaper -cover' which will be rolled in upon the can after filling thereof together with the top of the can. and whichm-ay be readily torn from the can by a suitable tearvide multiple caps to be applied thereto, which not only require expensive machinery, but also involve considerable difllculty in the distribution of the milk.

Furthermore, since milk has to be fairly promptly after it has been produced, heavy delivered consumed. 1

glass bottles, because of their relatively great weight and large volume are not most readily distributed with .great economyand minim space consumption. I Y

In the retail store and home they occupy excessive space in ice boxes amiwhen carried or distributed by employees of milk companies, they require considerable care and necessitate the handling of excessiveweights.

It is among the objects of the present inyene tion to provide an improved method of packaging and distributing whole m: which will eliminate the many difficulties above described,- which will give 'most eflicientdistribution with maximumeconomy. of expense and space consumption and which will greatly-reduce the cost in containers.

Y A further object is to provide an improved mill;

, cause too rapid deterioration ofthe milk or sollring attachment.

The preferred can, to which present inven;

tion is by no means restricted, is provided with a teanstring which will tear off the paper cover and is provided with horizontally extending which enable more rapid packaaim and more satisfactory distribution of the milk. The paper the milk.

Preferably the top of the can is united with to close the can or lifted to permit pouring of the milk. The pouring lip servesas a cover during the time the contents of the can are dispensed or In utilizing=cans, it has portant that the milk be put in such aconditiop that there will be no catalytic action by metal of the can, tending to cause too rapid sour-ing 6fthe milk or undue growth of bacteria and it among theoblects of thepresentinventicn to provide an improved method of pack llgi g milk which will eliminate .undue oxidation and avoid any catalytic metallic action which might tend to ing thereof.

In accomplishing this last mentioned object, it.

has been found most suitable to cause the canned whole milkto have a pH of between 5 and 7 and preferably between 6 and 'l and to be substantially devoid of atmospheric oxygen.

In the desired construction; the

or other una pouring lip or spout which maybe turned down been found mm eased.

the fingerv flanges 24,

above the milk in the upper part ofthe can is desirably'fllled. with carbon dioxide under pressure slightly above atmospheric, say between to 10% above atmospheric.

. The atmosphere is above the milk in the can, should be substantially devoid of, or contain less than of, oxygen. ,The milk at the sametime should be substantially free of oxygen and should ent application, but to which the present application is by. no means restricted, since many changes and'variationsthereof may be made, all

within the scope of the-present application,

- .Flg. J. is a top perspectiveview of the completed can showing the paper cover and pull stringin position,

Fig. 2 illustrates how the pull stringmay be utilized for the paper cover, prior to consumption or dispensing,

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view showing the .top of the can after the paper cover has been removed,

v with the side flanges 25. The flanges 24 and II.

assist in sealing action. The entire spout B .may be made of a relatively heavy waterproof P p I The spacing or opening 26 between the inside edges of the walls 20 and the flanges I5 is nor- -mally pressed against the wall, as shown best in Fig. 5. The spout device B has a shoulder porrolled inwardly to form a smooth edge to contact with the walls 20.

Fig. 4 shows the top or the can'inverted m perspeetive, indicating how the pouring spout may be employed,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view upon the top of the can upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a i'ragmentary transversesectional I View upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, F18. 7- is a transverse sectional view upon the line 1-1 of Fig. 1 and showing the position of the tearing string upon an enlarged scale, as

compared to Fig, 1,

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the various stages in the packaging of whole milk.

Referring to de Figs. 1 to 4, the can A has cylinbeads. Referring to Figs. 5 and {7, it will be noted that the side walls I 0 are'provided with the beads l3,

upon which is rolled inwardly the edge portion H of the metal cover ll. At the same time as the metal edge [,4 is rolled into position the edges it of the paper cover l5 should also be rolled into position. This rolling operation takes place during the final sealing and after the milk side wall or walls in and the top and bot-. tom walls H, which are joined together by the horizontally outstanding beadsl2 and I3, instead of the usual vertical Between the front edges of the walls 20 is the triangular opening 30 through which the milk may be poured when the spout B is moved to a position 90' away from closed position shownin Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6. It is apparent that the paper cover It may be readily removed, as indicated in Fig. 2, and that the'pouring spout B may be readily manipulated to permit emptying or pouring' of the'milk, as indicated in Fig. 4, or covering and keeping of' the remainder of the milk which has not been consumed.

The can as'illustratedin Figs. l'toi'l is of inexpensive construction, of minimum space consumption and may be most readily handled by the housewife, milkman or retailmerchant.

The process of packaging the milk is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8 and the moving belt 50 is carried by the pulleysilla and it carrice the cans A through a series of chambers, Si in which vacuum is applied, 52 in which carbon dioxide is applied, iii 'in which the cans A has been inserted in the can and suitably proc- The string I1 is preferably positioned between the rolled over portions I4 and i6 and it may be attached to the combined flat elements ll and II before application to the top of the can in the operation as shown in Fig. 8.

1 The string 17 has a projecting end It, ,as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2 and it acts as a tearing strip, enabling the papertop as best shown in Fig. 2, to be removed from the top of thecan,

prior to consumption of the milk. At the same time as the edges of the metal cover I l and paper cover I5 are rolled in position the extension I! of the pouring spout B is also rolled into position inside of the metal edge portion l4 and outside of the bead II, as best shown at the left 61 Fig. 5.

The pouring spout B has the side walls 20 of approximately triangular shape with the curved edges II, the top wall 22 of gore shape having The backs of the'walls are provided engaging projection 2land the" side are filled with milk, 54 in which vacuum is again which carbon dioxide is again applied to flll the can with a slight super-atmospheric pressure and 56 in which the double cover I I and I5 is applied and rolled into position by the tool diagrammatically indicated at 51.

The doors provided with the hinges 59 indicate that the milk is passed between the chambers without permitting communication between the various compartments 5| to 58. The doors may consist of revolving doors or of other suitable constructions.

.By the processes indicated in Fig. 8 the milk is finally canned under a slight super-atmospheric carbon dioxide pressure varying from A; to 5 or 10 lbs., insuflicient to cause bubbling or fizzing when the milk is poured and insumcient to give any taste thereto. At the same time the will be given 'a pH of about 5 to 7 or preferably'6'to 7 which will prevent development of bacteria and eliminate catalytic action of the metal container.

It is thus apparent that the applicant has D19- vided an inexpensive and efllcient method of packaging and distributing milk of great value.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular features of process disclosed, and in methods of operation set forth, and. in specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined in the claims, the specific description herein merely serving to illustrate certain elements by which, in

the invention may wedge-like recess pointing toward the center of the cover, with its widest portion closely adjacent the outside of the can and said spout taking the form of a wedge, with its side walls closely fitting the sides of said opening and with a pouring opening adjacent the upper outside corner of the wedge.

2. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with outwardly extending beads, the upper' cover being provided with a paper enclosure and a pouring spout, said paper enclosure and pouring spout being held in position by said bead.

3. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with outwardly extending beads, the upper cover being provided with a paper enclosure and a pouring spout, said paper enclosure and pouring spout being held in position by said bead, said pouring spout being formed of a wedge of paper and said upper cover being provided with a triangular opening to receive said wedge.

4. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with outwardly extending beads, the upper cover being provided with a paper enclosure and a pouring spout, said' paper enclosure and pouring spout being held in position by said head, said spout being provided with a paper extension held in said bead serving as a pivot mount for said spout. 5. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with out wardly extending heads, the upper cover being provided with a paper enclosure and a pouring spout, said paper enclosure and pouring spout being held in position by'said bead, and a tear string held in position below said paper enclosure and above said upper cover inside of said bead.

6. A cover unit for application to cylindrical milk cans having upper beads comprising a circular metal cover disk, a paper disk attached thereto having a peripheral portion to cover said upper beads, and a tear string positioned between the outer portions of said disks to be inserted between said disks at the point of maximum diameter of said upper beads.

7. A cover unit'for application to cylindrical milk cans having upper beads comprising a circular metal cover disk, a paper disk attached thereto, and a tear string positioned between the outer portions of said disks, the outer edges of said disks being adapted to be rolled onto said beads.-

8. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with outwardly extending beads and a central cylindrical body connecting said covers, the upper cover being provided with a wedge-shaped recess and a wedge-shaped spout, said spout being rotatable in said recess and sealing said recess when in closed position and when in open position, said spout serving as a conduit when in open position. 9. A milk package comprising a can receiving milk having upper and lower covers with outwardly extending beads and a central cylindrical body connecting said covers, the-upper cover being provided with a wedge-shaped recess and a wedge-shaped spout, said spout being rotatable in said recess and sealing said recess when in closed position and when in open position, said spout serving as a conduit when in open position,

said recess having its widest portion closely adjacent the outer bead of the upper cover and having its converging side edges pointing toward the center of the upper cover and said spout being pivotally mounted at the portion of the recess adjacent said bead.

REBECCA BECKER. 

